Senior Scholars\u27 Forum

Scientific disciplines such as biology, engineering, physics and environmental sciences have been identifying grand research challenges . Grand research challenges are challenges such as the Human Genome Project that are fundamental problems and are critically important to society. For example, the National Academy of Engineering has identified 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering such as: making solar energy economical, preventing nuclear terror, advancing health informatics, providing access to clean water, enhancing virtual reality, engineering better medicines, and securing cyberspace (National Academy of Engineering, 2011). In environmental sciences, a Committee organized by the National Research Council identified 8 Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences, such as understanding how the Earth\u27s major biogeochemical cycles are being perturbed by human activities (National Research Council, 2001). Identifying such challenges is a way to motivate and coallesce a scientific community around important themes. It is also a way to bring identity to the community. Senior scholars in the community can play an important role by providing intellectual leadership in helping to identify the important ideas